ULVERSTON'S housing blueprint has come under fire.

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As part of South Lakeland District Council’s Local Plan, land for 1,200 new houses has been earmarked for the Ulverston area.

The latest proposed development – at Lund Farm, Ulverston – led to a public consultation newsletter being sent out last month.

Developer Oakmere Homes is putting together plans to build 100 houses on the land.

Many nearby residents oppose the idea due to concerns over safety and traffic congestion.


(l-r) Cllr Amanda Rigg and Cllr Andrew Butcher at the site of the proposed housing development at Lund Farm in Ulverston. LINDSEY DICKINGS And Councillor Andrew Butcher has voiced his concerns about what effect these new developments will have on existing properties.

He said: “I am shocked a proposed development is to be built in south Ulverston near to a high risk flood plain. Even though properties can be built on levels to remove the risk of flooding, building new houses can put existing properties at risk.

“Is 2009 and 2012 that long ago that we have already forgotten the damage, misery, upheaval and the well-being of the residents that were flooded out of their homes?”

He also explained the pressure these developments will have on the schools. He said: “We do need some houses but we have got to look at it carefully.

“These new houses are going to put the schools under a lot of pressure as we have not got enough of them to deal with this increase – we need to seriously look at infrastructure.”

Alan Brenton, manager of Sportive Lakes, feels there are too many developments proposed for the area.
Proposed housing developments in Ulverston - February 2016. <a href="http://www.cnnewmedia.co.uk/locker/nw/image/proposed-ulverston-housing-150216.jpg"><strong>Click here</strong></a> for a larger view

He said: “It feels a bit like it’s a social experiment, I’m not sure what’s going to happen to the town with that many more houses. We need to know what impact these houses will have on the roads, schools and sewage and draining system.

“These developments should not be approved until someone shows us a strategic plan.

“The roads are bad enough in Ulverston as they are but these developments will bring thousands more people here. SLDC is not communicating with the local community properly.”

An SLDC spokesman said: “The land south of Lund Farm has been allocated for residential development in the Local Plan – Land Allocations document, which was adopted by the council in December 2013 and identifies sites to meet the district’s existing housing needs and to support economic growth.

“In total 11 sites with an estimated capacity of 1,161 dwellings are allocated in Ulverston.

“No planning application has yet been submitted for the land south of the Lund Farm site, but if an application does come forward it will be considered through the usual planning process.

“With regard to infrastructure improvements, the council has introduced a Community Infrastructure Levy that will require developers to pay towards key infrastructure projects, such as extra transport, education, health or leisure provision, that may be necessary to support developments proposed in the Local Plan.’’